I shared with John Pod his concern that The New Republic wouldn’t be The New Republic anymore now that it’s bi-weekly. But while some readers may think it’s a “different” magazine, I still think, on the whole, it’s a very good one. The move toward more New Yorkerish pieces was, I think, well-advised and the first three issues have been very good. Editorially, I think the magazine has moved more leftward (mostly evidenced in the notebook sections and editorials) but what’re ya gonna do?

And the back of the book is still outstanding. Which brings me to a theory I have. It dawned on me while reading this piece by Alan Wolfe that almost everything by Alan Wolfe I like is in The New Republic. Everything that I think is disappointing or shabby by Wolfe appears elsewhere — The Washington Monthly, The Chronicle of Higher Education etc. I’m beginning to think this isn’t a coincidence.

Update: As a couple readers pointed out to me, TNR doesn’t have a “notebook” section anymore. Good point. But I guess I simply meant the front-of-the-book short pieces and items, which are now more talk-of-the-townish.